Fallen Angel
by Nanika
Summary: When Fate's eyes glance away, Akurei Hitoshi ends up at Momo's school, where they quickly find out that, even though she's from Angel Island, Akurei has long since ditched her halo for horns. And now she's got her eye on Momo!
1. Akurei's Arrival

Hey, kids, and thanks for hitting my first fanfic on the web.  I've written a lot before (mainly for Escaflowne and Ranma ½), but this is my very first Peach Girl fic, so I really hope you all like it!  The first chapter is all I'm done with at the moment, and most of it is just a bit of history to get you cued up for the real story that's about to happen.  All kinds of questions and comments are welcome!  E-mail them to XxManifestDestinyxX@yahoo.com!  Enjoy!

Fallen Angel 

          Dozens of people bustled around the girl that stood staring at Gate 113A.  People dragging suitcases, people with briefcases and carry-on bags, people with children wearing Mickey Mouse ears.  A man in a tailored suit, most likely just off a late plane, stumbled over the girl's backpack.

          "Hey kid!  How's about movin'?" he complained as he pushed by.

          The girl knelt down and shouldered her backpack as a tinny voice over the airport's intercom announced that Flight 347 at Gate 113A was now boarding rows 9-16 in coach.  She weaved her way through the river of people to where the line had formed for the boarding of the seats in rows 9-16.  The kid in front of her was about five years old, and she found that, when his parents were otherwise occupied, he would stick his finger up his nose.  Thankfully the line was moving fast.  The woman at the desk took her ticket and passport, stamping them.

          " 'Akurei Hitoshi'," she read, glancing up at the girl, giving her to critical once-over.  Long, straight black hair, accompanied by a pale complexion and deep cobalt eyes were above a tight black halter top.  Long, loose pants and a floor-length black trench coat completed the girl's outfit.  Akurei knew the look very well.  The woman wasn't just checking to see if the photo in her passport was her or not.  She was gawking.

          "You went through security, I presume?" she asked.  Although the woman tried to make it sound well-to-do…like it was her job to pick on the loners, or something…Akurei groaned and boarded the plane, taking her ticket and passport from the woman's hand on the way.

          Finally situated in her seat (between two old people, a ghoul and a hag, that kept glaring at her, no less), Akurei settled down and turned on her headphones, prepared for the thirteen-hour flight to Japan.

          Sae glanced up from her magazine as the woman over the intercom announced that Flight 347 from San Francisco, California would be landing shortly.  Sae picked up the photograph that she had laid to rest on her leg.  A pair of twelve year olds smiled back at her.  A younger version of herself sat on a swing, eyes bright above a wide smile.  Behind her stood her cousin Akurei.  With one hand secured on the swing's chain and the other arm wrapped around Sae, she smiled sweetly at the camera, deep gray-blue eyes genuinely happy.  This was the girl Sae was here to pick up.  Her cousin.  Unfortunately, Akurei's mother, Sae's Auntie Chiyo, had died in a fatal car accident.  And since Akurei's dad was, well…her parents called him a disgrace.  Sae's mother couldn't figure out why her sister had ever married such a low life.  He was unfit for custody of Akurei, so her custody was passed to Sae's parents.  Sae looked fondly back at the picture.  When they were children, they had been best friends.  Times had changed quickly, though, when Akurei's family moved back across the vast Pacific to California.  This would be the first time that Sae and Akurei would be united since before they had even heard of middle school.  Sae quickly slid her magazine into her bag, hurrying to the window.  She pressed her hands, picture and all, to the4 thick glass, her warm breath making foggy clouds, as she watched the tarmac roll into place.

          Akurei elbowed her way up as the ghoul tried to stand, gripping his back, and the hag shrunk back, gripping her purse.

          "Frank…" the old woman began, glancing uneasily at the girl that separated her from her husband.

          "Oh, can it, granny!" Akurei exclaimed, glowering at the old crone.  "All you've done this whole trip is stare at me and find new and exciting places to hide your valuables."  She scowled down at the old woman before turning to the old bag's husband.  "Move it or lose it, Gramps," she muttered, shouldering by him.

          "Why don't you have respect for your elders?" he asked immediately…a question that stopped the girl in her tracks and sent her spinning back on him.

          " 'Respect'?!" she exclaimed, getting right up in his face.  So close that she could smell his old greasy hair.  "You want respect?  Take a look at this…just take a look!"  She pulled a worn photograph from her pocket and held it in front of his face.  "You see these two people?  You see them?!  They're my parents.  But my mom got killed and my dad lost custody of me.  That's why I'm here.  So if you don't mind, I would appreciate it if you would stop feeding me all of this 'respect' bull shit."  She turned away and made her way forward, encountering a stewardess.  The middle-aged woman (Jeanette, by her name tag) asked her to sit down, and that they would be exiting the plane shortly.

          "That man was harassing me," Akurei said, pointing to the old man she had sat next to.  She ducked by as a confused stewardess stared back at an ever more confused old man.

          Sae grasped the photo tightly in her hand, eagerly watching the passangers of Flight 347 stumble tiredly out into the Japanese airport.  Her excited watch on the people continued until Akurei tapped her arm.

          "Hey Sae," she said, smiling grimly.  Sae bubbled over about how she couldn't believe how much Akurei had change4d and how long it had been since they'd seen each other.  Akurei grinned nervously, dragging her toward baggage claim, where the grabbed her duffle bag and slung it over her shoulder.

          The two were in the underground train tunnel before Akurei noticed two of the airport's security guards patrolling the area very closely.

          "I hate to interrupt," Akurei said, cutting into Sae's excited ramblings, "But we have to get on the train now."

          Sae blinked as her cousin pulled her through the open doors.

          "Why the rush?" she asked, fixing the silver pins in her short hair.

          Akurei hesitated.  "I kind of harassed an old guy on the plane.  I think they might be looking for me."  She turned her back to the window.

          "You assaulted on old guy?!" Sae blurted loudly as the doors on the train slid shut.


	2. Eau de Rat

          Akurei followed behind Sae through the crowded shopping center.

          "I can't believe that the only shoes you have are those big old combat boots!" Sae laughed, swinging her shopping bag that was covered with a bright floral pattern from some department store that they had spent at least an hour at.

          "What's wrong with my boots?" Akurei asked, stopping for a moment to glance down at the chunky black boots she wore under her long black pants.

          "Nothing, nothing!" Sae replied assuring, "It's just that they're not really in style anymore."  Before Akurei could get a word in edgewise, Sae grabbed her arm, dragging her halfway down the hall, calling out something Akurei couldn't understand.

          "Sae, what the hell?" Akurei growled angrily, pulling her arm from Sae's grasp.

          Sae looked hurt, but it was only for a split second.  "Hey, I want you to meet someone, alright?" Sae said, snuggling next to the guy the had rushed to meet, "This is Kazuya Tojigamori.  Toji, this is my cousin Akurei Hitoshi.  She just moved here from California.  Toji is in our class."

          Toji cleared his throat, stepping away from Sae a bit, waving a bit at the strange new girl.  Akurei waved back, taking note of her cautiously friendly composure and his casual clothing.

          "So you're in our class now?" he said a bit uncomfortably.

          "Yeah, I guess so," she replied.  She glanced away from him for a second, which was just enough time for Sae to take over once again.

          "So where's Momo?" Sae asked conversationally, "you two out on a date or something?"

          Toji sighed quietly, his eyes shifting.  "No…we're kind of on the outs right now," he replied hesitantly.

          Sae's ears perked up.  "Oh _really_…that's terrible.  You two seem to fight quite a bit.  Why are you still going out with her?" she asked, eyeing him with obvious interest.

          Akurei shifted uncomfortably, as did Toji.  Why was Sae asking all these questions?  It _had_ been a long time since they'd last hung out, she and her cousin, but had Sae really turned into a _rat_?

          "So?" Sae asked again, this time prying, Akurei thought.

          "I have to go," Toji replied, I'm meeting Nimaro at the bookstore, so…"  He waved once more at Akurei, this time offering a smile.  "See you in class, then."  With that, he hurried off.

          Sae put her hands on her hips, sighing while she shook her head.  "I really don't understand that Toji sometimes.  One moment he's with Momo, the next, they're not getting alone.  The world would be a better place if he's just make me his girlfriend and get rid of Momo for good."

          Akurei blinked, smelling a rat.


	3. Fallen Angel 3

          Akurei walked awkwardly through the halls of her new school, glancing from a scrap of paper to each of the small signs above every door.  She sighed, turning a corner, still looking for her homeroom.  Her spirits lifted a little when she saw a familiar face, and she quickly moved to his side.

          "Akurei," Toji said, almost sounding surprised.

          She smiled apologetically, holding out a slip of paper to him.  "Can you help me find my homeroom?  I'm kind of lost in this school."

          Toji took the slip from her hand, nodding as he glanced at it.  "1-3.  You're in my homeroom.  It's just around..."  He paused as a girl walked up and stood by his side.  The two girls sized each other up.

          The tall, tan girl stared at the other through hazel eyes, shaking her long blonde hair from her shoulders.  "Who is this girl, Toji?" she asked, still looking at the girl in front of her.

          "Akurei Hitoshi.  We met at the mall this weekend.  She's in our homeroom, and I was just going to show her where the room's at," he replied calmly.

          The blonde turned to look at Akurei again.  She looked out of place in this school.  Her hair was long and raven black, untied about her shoulders.  Her ears were pierced numerous times, and she raised at pierced eyebrow, her dark blue eyes challenging the beach bunny to keep critiquing her appearance.

          Akurei's dark lips parted.  "It's rude to stare," she said coolly.

          The other girl's eyes narrowed slightly, as if in thought.  "have we ever met before?" she asked, studying the other girl's face once again.

          "Do you know Sae Kashiwagi?  She's my cousin.  I'm living with her right now."


	4. Fallen Angel 4

          The blonde girl's mouth was a small gap as Akurei stared at her.

                    "_Do_ you know Sae?  She knows Toji."  She pointed a slender finger at him.

          Toji blinked, in turn pointing his finger to the tan girl next to him.  "This is Momo Adachi.  My…girlfriend?"  He smiled hopefully.

          "Not if you hang out with her," Momo said, brushing by quickly.

          "Follow her," Toji told Akurei, "She sure to lead you to 1-3."  He followed beside her, walking with a slight slouch.

          "So she's your girlfriend, huh?  Some character," Akurei commented.

          Toji grinned.  "She's a good kid.  I really like her a lot."  They turned the corner and Akure noticed the numbers above the doors, seeing 1-3 in the mix.  She quickly turned, checking her surroundings so she could remember it for the next day.

          "Whoa, be careful," Toji said quickly as the girl stumbled a little before catching her balance again.  "You looked really different at the mall.  I guess you're not used to school uniforms, huh?"

          "I'm not used to dressing anything even _remotely_ like this," she replied, walking into homeroom 1-3 with him.  "Where should I sit?" she asked quietly, her eyes scanning the room for some unoccupied seat.

          "There's one right behind where Momo sits," he said, pointing to a vacant desk behind the girl she had met earlier.

          She hurried over and sat down, watching as Toji sat diagonal to Momo.  Taking out her binder and her pencil case, she ducked down in her seat, hoping to avoid being noticed.  Where she used to go to school, new students (always deemed The New Kid.  A nickname that stuck for at least a year, on average) were either snubbed or scooped up into the "loving" arms of "popularity."  Both options made her uncomfortable, so she took lots of notes and didn't raise her hand as the teacher asked questions.

          Akurei glanced up as a note landed on the edge of her desk.  She covered it with her hand quickly, looking to the source.  A guy next to her was staring ahead to the teacher.  Sae leaned out from her seat a row past his and waved at her.  Akurei smiled and opened the note under her desk, taking one more quick note from the teacher's lecture before looking down into her lap for Sae's note.

Hey, Akurei!  Way to go with getting in on Toji!  I thought I was out of the loops, but thanks to you, I'm back in!  A cousin after my own heart!

Sae


	5. Fallen Angel 5

          A little black bird fluttered by the open window, chasing a tiny brown.  Akurei watched the pair, through heavily rouged eyes, following their progression as she ate sushi and rice balls with her fingers.

          "You know, you should really eat with chopsticks."  Akurei finished her rice ball before turning to see who was talking to her, but no one was there.  The only evidence that she had even heard a voice at all was a pair of chopsticks rested in the lid of her bento box.  She glanced around again, seeing nothing more than her classmates laughing and eating lunch together.  Picking up the chopsticks, she studied them.  Laquered wood…some kind of cherry or mahogany…shone back at her.  Intricate cherry blossoms were carved deep enough into each stick that she could see the red wood beneath.  She handled them carefully, glancing around once again to see who had given these to her.  No one made a move, though, so she went back to eating, chopsticks ticking together quietly.

          Akurei sat in the train, glancing at her watch.  She hadn't remembered how long these rides were.  Her mother had always given her a coloring book and crayons when they rode the train.  Sae had caught the train earlier because Akurei had to stay after school to finish her art project.  It was nothing much…just a painting of two bums she had seen walking along the Golden Gate Bridge when she lived in California.  No big deal, really.

          When she went back to the lockers for her shoes, though, she found a note in her boot.  It was a simple scrap of paper with a number on it.  Telephone?  Cell phone?  She didn't know.  She slipped it into her bag and quickly changed her shoes.

          Now as she sat on the train, holding the slip of paper in one hand and her cell phone in the other, she contemplated calling this number.  It probably wasn't for her…probably just a mistake.  But she dialed slowly, the blips and beeps of her cell just audible over the yammer around her.

          The phone rang and hazel eyes shifted to the Caller I.D.  It read Hitoshi, Akurei.  The letter underneath was a cell phone number.  She had obviously received the note.  A hand picked up the phone, silent.

          "Hello?" Akurei said loudly over the voices around her.

          "Hello."

          "Who is this?" she asked, plugging her open ear with her finger.

          "A friend."

          "But…"

          "You're staying with Sae Kashiwage, right?"

          "Yeah…?"

          "We'll be in touch."

          Akurei blinked as the line went dead.


End file.
